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This study investigates empirically the effect of investment decision on financing decision. To obtain the objectives, the data required, ranging from 2004 through 2013 were collected from the financial statements of all the banking firms listed in Karachi Stock exchange. Investment opportunity and actual investment were used as proxies of investment decision. Profitability and firm size were used as control variables. Multiple regression models were used to estimate the variables of interest. It was concluded that investment opportunity had significant effect on financing decision; however, the effects have no particular pattern. Furthermore, actual investment had no impact on financing decision.

Communication is an important element in each society. Through communication, people express themselves, their attitudes, their beliefs and opinions. They interact with other people as well. But how well this interaction continues depends on different factors. For example, the way you use language, the choices you make, and the way you express your wants and attitudes all are important and affect your interaction with others. According to Coulmas (2005, p. 84), "speakers make many choices when speaking, including the politeness level of their utterances". Every verbal utterance, as it is an instance of language use, has certain degree of politeness. This article aimed at investigating the reflection of politeness principle and face theory in EFL students' writing in Iran. For this purpose, a sample of 50 undergraduate students learning English as a foreign language, were selected from Hakim Sabzevari University. After administering a standard language proficiency test, a writing task was given to participants to investigate whether this aspect of sociolinguistics is reflected in Iranian writing. After analyzing the papers based on Brown and Levinson (1987) framework, it was found that politeness principle and face theory are reflected in the writing of Iranian EFL learners to a considerable extent.

Antifungal properties, and effects of fresh, oven dried uncooked and cooked seeds of Buchholzia coriacea on haematology and kidney was evaluated. The haematology and kidney studies were carried out using Wistar albino rats. Antifungal property result revealed the following order fresh seed > oven dried uncooked seed > cooked seed for the studied seed samples. Effects of the studied seed samples on haematology and kidney followed the order cooked seed

Livestock industry in Nigeria is ridden with myriad of problems, which have resulted to a gross shortage of meat and other animal products. The growth rate of agriculture sector in Nigeria is still below the potentials of the natural and human resources due to high cost of agricultural inputs. To increase protein intake in Nigeria, there is urgent need to increase broiler production at household and commercial holdings. This research was conducted to assess the weight gained by the broiler chickens served fluted pumpkin leaves extract and also to examine the possible combination of number of weeks and  quantity of fluted pumpkin leaves extract that can result in maximum weight of the broiler chickens. The data were collected as a secondary data from the Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology (I.A.R & T), Ibadan. An 8-weeks experiment was conducted to assess the weight gained by the broiler chickens served with fluted pumpkin leaves extract (FPLE). Forty day old Anak 2000 broiler chicks were randomly distributed to 5 treatments which contained 0, 30, 60, 90 and 120 ml of FPLE per litre of water for A, B, C, D and E, respectively, in a completely randomized design. Each treatment was replicated four times with two birds per replicate. The birds were fed with the same starter and finisher diets. The feed and water were served. Factorial design was used to study the main and interaction effects of number of weeks and quantity of FPLE on the weight of broiler chickens. Response surface model was fitted and subjected to canonical analysis to the characterization of the nature of its turning point and to capture the combination of number of weeks and quantity of FPLE that brings maximum weight of the broiler chickens. The results showed that the average body weight gained was significant (P<0.05). It was least in control compared to the birds served with 30-120 ml of FPLE. Factorial Design revealed that birds served with FPLE gained more weight than those in control. The birds served 120 ml of FPLE per litre of water for 8 weeks had the best performance in terms of weight gain. The use of FPLE in broiler chickens production is most effective from five weeks of age. The fitted Response Surface Model indicated that number of weeks and quantity of FPLE together with their mutual interaction significantly (P<0.05) determined the weight of broiler chickens. The maximum weight was achieved when number of week was ten with 100ml of FPLE. Number of weeks, FPLE and their mutual interaction play a key role in obtaining maximum weight of broiler chickens. These factors should be put into consideration in making of feed for broiler chickens.

Software effort estimation is an important area in the field of software engineering. If the software effort is over estimated it may lead to tight time schedules and thus quality and testing of software may be compromised. In contrast, if the software development effort is underestimated it may lead to over allocation of man power and resource. There are many models for estimating software effort. The aim of the work is to estimate software effort using various machine learning techniques like Artificial Neural Network (ANN), Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS), and Decision Tree (DT). China dataset of software projects has been used in order to compare the performance results obtained from these models. The indices are Sum-Square-Error (SSE), Mean-Square-Error (MSE), Root-Mean-Square-Error (RMSE), Mean-Magnitude-Relative-Error (MMRE), Relative-Absolute-Error (RAE), Relative-Root-Square-Error (RRSE), Mean-Absolute-Error (MAE), Correlation Coefficient (CC), and PRED (25).

Heavy metals contamination was carried out with the aim to assess the levels of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and chromium (Cr) in various fruits and vegetables sold in Ghanaian markets. A total of 350 fruits and vegetable samples were tested and analyzed by Atomic Absorption spectrometry. The test results showed that the average concentrations detected were ranged from below detection limit to 0.56, below detection limit to 0.08, 1.24 to 6.32, 2.32 to 21.4 and below detection limit to 1.06 mg/kg for Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn and Cr, respectively. The highest mean levels of Pb and Cd were detected in lettuce, Cu and Zn in cucumber and Cr in carrot samples. The daily intakes of Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn and Cr through fruits and vegetables have also been estimated. The levels of metals were all below the permissible limits by WHO/FAO. For there were heavy metals present in the fruits and vegetable samples, consumption of fruits and vegetables there was no zero risk. But the exposure of consumer did not exceed the acceptable daily intake (ADI). This study suggests that a yearly monitoring program for heavy metal in foodstuffs is necessity.

In this study, the Azadirachta Indica tree was evaluated as the biomonitors of heavy metals such as Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu contaminated in Madurai City. The soil samples at depth ( 0-20cm) and Azadirachta Indica leaves were taken from different sampling sites namely Kalavasal (S1), Palaganatham (S2), Periyar (S3), Simmakal (S4), Goripalayam (S5) and Mattuthavani (S6). Then, the concentrations of Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu were measured using Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer Perkin Elmer Model 1100. The result of this study showed that the concentration of Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu varied between 11.96µg/m3-21.6 µg/m3, 5.36 µg/m3 - 16.25 µg/m3, 4.38 µg/m3 - 7.22 µg/m3 and 1.58 µg/m3 - 5.03 µg/m3respectively at depth 0-20cm. The concentration of heavy metals such as Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu in Azadirachta Indica ranged between 206.92 µg/m3- 1661.3 µg/m3, 45.0 µg/m3 – 273.75 µg/m3, 112.67 µg/m3 – 345.67 µg/m3 and 15.0 µg/m3 - 23.25 µg/m3 respectively. According to these results the concentration of heavy metal Fe was found to be high in all the sampling sites at depth of soil 0-20cm. The mobility ratio value for heavy metals in Azadirachta Indica was found to be greater than one in all the sampling sites, thus Azadirachta Indica is said to be heavy metal accumulator. The variation in heavy metal concentrations is due to changes in traffic density and anthropogenic activities. It is concluded that Azadirachta Indica can be applied to monitor polluted sites.

The range of brightness levels and Histogram shows how individual brightness levels are occupied in any image, for image contrast measurement .Low-level image processing is one of the most important issues of image enhancement. To control and enhance the contrast, Histogram Equalization (HE) is the simple and effective technique, but this approach causes some unnatural look in output image. For best effect the brightness of input image must be retained. Fuzzy techniques can manage the vagueness and ambiguity efficiently. Fuzzy logic is a powerful tool to represent and process human knowledge in form of fuzzy if-then rules. In this work we are using fuzzy membership function in the proposed algorithm. The proposed concept in this paper is named as Brightness Preservation by Fuzzy based Multi-peak Generalized Histogram Equalization (BPFMGHE) and it is simulated by MATLAB; this technique first combined the global histogram equalization of image with local information and then after calculating noise free generalised multi-peak histogram by equalization, the image was again decomposed into several sub-images, and then applied the fuzzy membership function dependent HE process to each of them to preserve image brightness.The distribution of grey level is in complete control with the given method and image improvement is effective. Image is improved and brightness is preserved effectively with the discussed process.

Primary clarified bone waste (PCBW) from ossein factory was anaerobically co-digested with cattle dung in relative proportions at ambient temperature. A substitution of PCBW (60%) with cattle dung (40%) reported herein to be appropriate for a maximum biogas production yield with 68-71% methane content. The pH of the slurry was intensively maintained until the course of digestion. The best degradation of organic matter was achieved at a low proportion of PCBW used in the digesters. Thus, co-digestion of PCBW and cattle dung at a moderate proportion is a more noteworthy for producing maximum biogas yield with high quality methane content and to control odor in ossein factory.

Comparative study of the adsorption capacities of four calcareous shells for Pb(II), Cr(VI) and Fe(II) was investigated. The study was conducted at room temperature as a function of pH, initial concentration of the metals and contact time. Optimum sorption at pH of 2.0, 5.0 and 6.0 was observed for Fe (II), Cr (VI) and Pb (II) respectively. Adsorption removal efficiency increased proportionally to contact time and decreased as the initial concentration was increased. Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms were applied to model the process and good fitness was found for Langmuir R² > 9.5 with values of R_L<1. Pseudo second-order kinetic provided the best fit for the experimental data with calculated values of q_e almost equal to the experimental values. Chemical reaction was determined to be the primary mechanism of adsorption. Results indicated that animal shells could be employed as excellent adsorbents for the removal of heavy metals from wastewater pollutants.